Siri problems surface again forcing Apple to delay smart display tabletop device
Last August we told you about the tabletop robot that Apple is supposedly working on. Back then, we told you that the device would probably cost about $1,000 and the user would rely on AI to communicate with the robot. The product would have a robotic arm with an iPad/smart home display attached to one end acting as the "face" of the robot. Apple's long-term goals are more ambitious. The ultimate goal is to build a humanoid robot ready to take out the garbage, fetch your drink, clean up your house, and handle any task you won't or can't do.
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman revealed some new information about the tabletop robot in the latest edition of his weekly Power On newsletter. According to the report, the product has a codename of J595, and the iPad on the end of the robotic arm will have the ability to move around the user's desk. The display will be able to move up and down and spin 360 degrees. The display would be used for videoconferencing, to control smart home apps, and run home security tools. According to Gurman, Apple will give the machine "a unique AI personality." Apple is also said to be developing a lower-priced variant of the product that does not include a robotic arm. Given the codename J490, the screen on this model is about 6 inches. The product is the size of two iPhones standing side-by-side with a thick bezel around the screen.
The lower-end model will feature pre-installed Apple apps including the Safari web browser, an app that streams music, and one that will play the latest news. There will be a front-facing camera, a rechargeable battery, and an internal speaker. The product is expected to be offered in Silver and Black and most users will control the product using their voice via Siri. However, Gurman writes today that problems with Siri have delayed work on J490.
Despite the issues with Siri, Gurman says that he still expects J490 to be released by the end of this year at the earliest. The J595 model with the robotic arm will probably be ready a year or two after J490 is released. To speed up development of the pricier model with the robotic arm, Apple has reportedly removed some of the more complex features from the product with the hope that they can be added back in later models.
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